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Home My WebLink AboutHuron Expositor, 2017-02-15, Page 1414 Huron Expositor • Wednesday, February 15, 2017 New census data for Southwestern Ontario Hank Daniszewski Postmedia Network If you're a Highway 401 city east of London, you're riding high. But west of London, with the lone exception of Wind- sor, you're losing ground. The latest census snapshot of Southwestern Ontario shows a clear divide across the region -- its eastern half, including the wider London area, holding its own despite lagging national and Ontario population growth rates, while hard-hit Sarnia and Chatham -Kent in the west are shedding people. One inescapable truth from the 2016 census, released Wednesday, is that the closer a community is to the Greater "Toronto Area's commuter orbit, attracting people who work in the mega -city but can't afford its sky-high housing prices, the better its population growth. Booming Woodstock, with 8.3 -per -cent growth since the last census in 2011 -- tops in the region -- is the big winner in Southwestern Ontario, its growth nearly double Ontario's rate and well above the national rate. "Toronto is a stone in the pond and it looks like we are in the next ripple of that pond," said Len Magyar, Woodstock's development commissioner. 30 The square • GODERICH 519 524 7811 FOR MOVIE INFORMATION... www.movielinks.ca long distance'l -800-265-3438 1 1 ATTENTION READERS Take advantage of our pricing for HAPPY NOTES Includes: Birthdays, Anniversaries Weddings, En; :ements, Graduations etc. HAPPY BIRTHDAY (Name Person)' / °11::1Y (Date) $23.80 Love Mom & Dad Actual Size: Pre -Payment is Required Just bring in your photo & write-up and well do the rest. Other Sizes & Prices available upon request. Rhe upon 1 8 Main Street Seaforth, ON (519) 527-0240 nancy.degans@sunmedia.ca one . i ! oslto .com Home to a Toyota auto plant that opened just a few years before the last census was taken, and the nearby Cami auto assembly plant that's another major regional employer, Woodstock saw its population rise to almost 41,00 in 2016, up from nearly 38,000 five years earlier. In contrast, Chatham - Kent's population fell by two per cent over the same five years, and Sarnia's by 1.1 per cent -- both, cities whose manufacturing sectors took major blows in economic downturns and their fallout over the last 25 years, with plant layoffs and closings. At just under half a million people, the wider London area -- that includes the city, St. Thomas, Strathroy and nearby rural areas -- is grow- ing steadily, not spectacu- larly, with 4.1 -per -cent growth over five years. That's below both Ontar- io's 4.6 -per -cent rate in the latest census and the five - per -cent national rate. But bigger story in South- western Ontario is the expan- sion in its eastern reaches and its shrinking west, with border -city Windsor -- it's on an economic rebound, its population up three per cent after falling in the last census -- the one standout in the province remote southwest - em corner. Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley said he was surprised by the Statistic Canada figures show- ing his city in population decline, saying it contradicts a recent study done for Sarnia that indicated modest growth. "Those numbers are dam- aging to a community in the sense of self-esteem," he said. But Bradley admitted smaller cities such as Sarnia are struggling to attract immigrants that are crucial to growth. "We have to really By the Numbers Population in 2016 versus 2011 Canada 35,151,728, up five per cent Ontario: 13,448,494, up 4.6 per cent SOUTHWESTERN ONTARIO Urban areas Greater London area: 494,069, up 4.1 per cent London: 383,822, up 4.8 per cent St. Thomas: 38,909, up 2.6 per cent Woodstock: 40,902, ratchet up our game in attracting people," he said. At 383,822 people, Lon- don's population rose by 4.8 per cent and the wider area, the so-called census metro- politan area, fell just short of the half -million mark at 494,069. There was moderate pop- ulation growth in Stratford, at 1.8 per cent, and in St. Thomas at 2.6 per cent. The drop-off in regional population growth in the west shows an imbalance in economic opportunity and a need for communities to band together to lobby the Ontario government, said Gerry Macartney, general manager of the London Chamber of Commerce. "The farther you are away from Queen's Park, the less likely you are to draw their attention. When you want funding for various pro- grams, are we getting our fair share? I would argue we don't"' Macartney said the strong growth spreading out from the Greater Toronto Area also underlines the need for a high-speed rail link to Lon- don to strengthen its up 8.3 per cent Stratford 31,465, up 1.8 per cent Owen Sound: 21,341, down 1.6 per cent Sarnia 71,594: Down 1.1 per cent Chatham -Kent 101,647, down two per cent Windsor. 217,188, up three per cent Among rural areas Middlesex County: -- Southwest Middlesex 5,723, down 2.3 per cent -- Strathroy-Caradoc 20,867, down 0.5 per cent -- Thames Centre 13,191, economic ties to the Toronto area. London's growth rate ranked 26th out of 33 census metropolitan areas in 2011 and has now moved up to 21st out of 35 (two new CMAs have since been added), said Don Kerr, a professor at King's University College at Western University. "Now, we are more middle of the pack. We are getting close to the national aver- age," he said. Kerr said the census fig- ures show a growing trend toward urbanization. Larger farms and mechanization are reducing population in agricultural areas. Among rural areas of the Southwest, Oxford County was strong with a 4.9 -per- cent population increase and 3.7 per cent in Mid- dlesex County. But other rural areas had more slug- gish growth, with 1.7 per cent in Elgin County, 0.3 per cent in both Lambton and Iluron counties and 0.6 in Haldimand-Norfolk. "What delves migration is employment opportunities and education and that's what we are seeing," said up 1.5 per cent -- Middlesex Centre 17,262, up 4.7 per cent -- North Middlesex 6,352, down 4.6 per cent Huron County -- South Huron 10,096, up 1.5 per cent -- Bluewater 7,136, up 1.3 per cent -- Central Huron 7,576, down 0.1 per cent -- Goderich 7,628, up 1.4 per cent Elgin County -- Central Elgin 12,607, down 1.1 per cent Kerr, noting it's a trend that could tip the political bal- ance in Canada. "It's amazing how much attention the big cities get. The political weight of small- town and rural Canada is declining," he said. Maygar said Woodstock has attracted several new industries lately, drawn to serviced land near the Hwys. 401-403 junction, including a Sysco distribution centre, Trans -Mit Steel and Ontario Refrigerated Services. But he said Woodstock is also drawing residents from the GTA, where prices for single-family homes have soared to about $1 million. Georgina Turchet, an agent with PC 275 Realty in Woodstock, said she noticed a surge of interest from GTA buyers and real estate agents last summer. Some buyers keep their jobs in the Toronto area and commute. "They get more value for their money here. They will work from home when they can," said Turget. Kitchener's population also rose sharply in the latest census, up 6.4 per cent, and Guelph's by 8.3 per cent. OPP launches sex -assault review Jennifer Bieman Postmedia Network The OPP, which polices much of rural Southwestern Ontario, is launching a review of about 4,000 sexual assault investigation reports that were designated as "unfounded" in recent years. Ontario Provin- cial Police Commissioner Vince Hawkes said the review will cover allegations made between 2010 and 2014. The move comes in the fallout of a Toronto newspaper report that exposed deep flaws in the way investigators treat sexual assault allegations in Canada. A harsh spotlight was particu- larly trained on the London police for dismissing as unfounded nearly one-third of sexual assault allegations over a five-year period. That compares with national figures indicating one in five such allegations, or 20 per cent, were classi- fied as baseless by investigators. Federal Public Safety Min- ister Ralph Goodale is urging police across the country to reassess how they manage sex assault complaints. Hawkes says the OPP takes all reports of sexual assault and violence seriously and "uses all resources necessary to conduct complete, thor- ough and professional investigations." He says theforce will examine the cases over the next several weeks and release a statement at the conclusion of the review, which will include a sum- mary of the analysis. CONTINUED > PAGE15